1
as in democratic
of, relating to, or favoring political democracy
having rid itself of the yoke of colonialism, the new nation chose to be a self-ruling state
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2
as in independent
not being under the rule or control of another
was granted special status as a self-ruling province
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Recent Examples of self-ruling
In recent years, Beijing has ramped up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan – a self-ruling democracy the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own despite having never governed it.
—
Eric Cheung, CNN, 13 Mar. 2023
In a meeting earlier with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raisi expressed support for China's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and claim to self-ruling democratic Taiwan.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2023
Eric Cheung, CNN, 13 Mar. 2023
In a meeting earlier with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raisi expressed support for China's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and claim to self-ruling democratic Taiwan.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-ruling
Adjective
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Before Hasina’s ouster, the United States didn’t do much to check the course of democratic backsliding in Bangladesh.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
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At the time, some human rights experts voiced concerns that his presidency risked backsliding on the democratic gains made since Suharto’s authoritarian regime.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The government denies the assertion by Imamoglu and the CHP that the case against him is politically driven and says that Turkey’s courts are independent.—
Reuters 17 hr ago,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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Written by Agnieszka Holland, the drama was made for less than $1 million and distributed by independent film company Vestron Pictures.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Clockwork manicure was not as comprehensive as what 10Beauty looks to deliver, though absorbing the company’s data has accelerated 10Beauty’s own device and helped the company better understand what will and won’t work in autonomous services.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
10 Nov. 2025
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The company is already exploring applications in other high-volume settings such as hospitals, universities, and factories, and has even partnered with Ukraine’s BRAVE1 defense technology program to test autonomous meal preparation for soldiers in the field.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Nigeria is the latest to issue an African sovereign debt note, despite concerns about debt distress on the continent.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Norway's sovereign wealth fund argued that Musk's new shares in the company would diminish existing shares, NBC News reported.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Boys and girls will be separate for most classes save for electives and more advanced coursework.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
12 Nov. 2025
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The judgment releases the county from four separate federal lawsuits filed by various plaintiffs against officials.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
12 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-ruling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-ruling. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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